Ezekiel 12

Judah's Captivity Symbolized

1 Now the word of the LORD came to me, saying: 2 "Son of man, you dwell in the midst of a a rebellious house, which b has eyes to see but does not see, and ears to hear but does not hear; c for they are a rebellious house. 3 "Therefore, son of man, prepare your belongings for captivity, and go into captivity by day in their sight. You shall go from your place into captivity to another place in their sight. It may be that they will consider, though they are a rebellious house. 4 "By day you shall bring out your belongings in their sight, as though going into captivity; and at evening you shall go in their sight, like those who go into captivity. 5 "Dig through the wall in their sight, and carry your belongings out through it. 6 "In their sight you shall bear them on your shoulders and carry them out at twilight; you shall cover your face, so that you cannot see the ground, d for I have made you a sign to the house of Israel."

7 So I did as I was commanded. I brought out my belongings by day, as though going into captivity, and at evening I dug through the wall with my hand. I brought them out at twilight, and I bore them on my shoulder in their sight.

8 And in the morning the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 9 "Son of man, has not the house of Israel, e the rebellious house, said to you, f 'What are you doing?' 10 "Say to them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "This g burden 1 concerns the prince in Jerusalem and all the house of Israel who are among them." ' 11 "Say, h 'I am a sign to you. As I have done, so shall it be done to them; i they shall be carried away into captivity.' 12 "And j the prince who is among them shall bear his belongings on his shoulder at twilight and go out. They shall dig through the wall to carry them out through it. He shall cover his face, so that he cannot see the ground with his eyes. 13 "I will also spread My k net over him, and he shall be caught in My snare. l I will bring him to Babylon, to the land of the Chaldeans; yet he shall not see it, though he shall die there. 14 m "I will scatter to every wind all who are around him to help him, and all his troops; and n I will draw out the sword after them. 15 o "Then they shall know that I am the LORD, when I scatter them among the nations and disperse them throughout the countries. 16 p "But I will spare a few of their men from the sword, from famine, and from pestilence, that they may declare all their abominations among the Gentiles wherever they go. Then they shall know that I am the LORD."

17 Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 18 "Son of man, q eat your bread with 2 quaking, and drink your water with trembling and anxiety. 19 "And say to the people of the land, 'Thus says the Lord GOD to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the land of Israel: "They shall eat their bread with anxiety, and drink their water with dread, so that her land may r be emptied of all who are in it, s because of the violence of all those who dwell in it. 20 "Then the cities that are inhabited shall be laid waste, and the land shall become desolate; and you shall know that I am the LORD." ' "

21 And the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 22 "Son of man, what is this proverb that you people have about the land of Israel, which says, t 'The days are prolonged, and every vision fails'? 23 "Tell them therefore, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "I will lay this proverb to rest, and they shall no more use it as a proverb in Israel." But say to them, u "The days are at hand, and the 3 fulfillment of every vision. 24 "For v no more shall there be any w false 4 vision or flattering divination within the house of Israel. 25 "For I am the LORD. I speak, and x the word which I speak will come to pass; it will no more be postponed; for in your days, O rebellious house, I will say the word and y perform it," says the Lord GOD.' "

26 Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 27 z "Son of man, look, the house of Israel is saying, 'The vision that he sees is a for many days from now, and he prophesies of times far off.' 28 b "Therefore say to them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "None of My words will be postponed any more, but the word which I speak c will be done," says the Lord GOD.' "

  1. Cross References
    Isaiah 1:23
    Your princes are rebellious, And companions of thieves; Everyone loves bribes, And follows after rewards. They do not defend the fatherless, Nor does the cause of the widow come before them.
    Ezekiel 2:3
    And He said to me: "Son of man, I am sending you to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation that has rebelled against Me; they and their fathers have transgressed against Me to this very day.
    Ezekiel 2:6 - 8
    And you, son of man, do not be afraid of them nor be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns are with you and you dwell among scorpions; do not be afraid of their words or dismayed by their looks, though they are a rebellious house.
  2. Cross References
    Isaiah 6:9
    And He said, "Go, and tell this people: 'Keep o...
    Isaiah 42:20
    Seeing many things, but you do not observe; Ope...
    Jeremiah 5:21
    Hear this now, O foolish people, Without unders...
    Matthew 13:13
    Therefore I speak to them in parables, because ...
    Matthew 13:14
    And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled...
    Mark 4:12
    "so that 'Seeing they may see and not perceive,...
    Mark 8:18
    Having eyes, do you not see? And having ears, d...
    Luke 8:10
    And He said, "To you it has been given to know ...
    John 9:39 - 41
    And Jesus said, "For judgment I have come into ...
    John 12:40
    "He has blinded their eyes and hardened their h...
    Acts 28:26
    Saying, 'Go to this people and say: "Hearing yo...
    Romans 11:8
    Just as it is written: "God has given them a sp...
  3. Cross References
    Ezekiel 2:5
    As for them, whether they hear or whether they refuse - for they are a rebellious house - yet they will know that a prophet has been among them.
  4. Cross References
    Isaiah 8:18
    Here am I and the children whom the LORD has given me! We are for signs and wonders in Israel From the LORD of hosts, Who dwells in Mount Zion.
    Ezekiel 4:3
    Moreover take for yourself an iron plate, and set it as an iron wall between you and the city. Set your face against it, and it shall be besieged, and you shall lay siege against it. This will be a sign to the house of Israel.
    Ezekiel 24:24
    'Thus Ezekiel is a sign to you; according to all that he has done you shall do; and when this comes, you shall know that I am the Lord GOD.'"
  5. Cross References
    Ezekiel 2:5
    As for them, whether they hear or whether they refuse - for they are a rebellious house - yet they will know that a prophet has been among them.
  6. Cross References
    Ezekiel 17:12
    Say now to the rebellious house: 'Do you not know what these things mean? ' Tell them, 'Indeed the king of Babylon went to Jerusalem and took its king and princes, and led them with him to Babylon.
    Ezekiel 24:19
    And the people said to me, "Will you not tell us what these things signify to us, that you behave so?
  7. Cross References
    Malachi 1:1
    The burden of the word of the LORD to Israel by Malachi.
  8. Cross References
    Ezekiel 12:6
    "In their sight you shall bear them on your shoulders and carry them out at twilight; you shall cover your face, so that you cannot see the ground, for I have made you a sign to the house of Israel."
  9. Cross References
    2 Kings 25:4
    Then the city wall was broken through, and all the men of war fled at night by way of the gate between two walls, which was by the king's garden, even though the Chaldeans were still encamped all around against the city. And the king went by way of the plain.
    2 Kings 25:5
    But the army of the Chaldeans pursued the king, and they overtook him in the plains of Jericho. All his army was scattered from him.
    2 Kings 25:7
    Then they killed the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, put out the eyes of Zedekiah, bound him with bronze fetters, and took him to Babylon.
  10. Cross References
    2 Kings 25:4
    Then the city wall was broken through, and all the men of war fled at night by way of the gate between two walls, which was by the king's garden, even though the Chaldeans were still encamped all around against the city. And the king went by way of the plain.
    Jeremiah 39:4
    So it was, when Zedekiah the king of Judah and all the men of war saw them, that they fled and went out of the city by night, by way of the king's garden, by the gate between the two walls. And he went out by way of the plain.
    Jeremiah 52:7
    Then the city wall was broken through, and all the men of war fled and went out of the city at night by way of the gate between the two walls, which was by the king's garden, even though the Chaldeans were near the city all around. And they went by way of the plain.
    Ezekiel 12:6
    "In their sight you shall bear them on your shoulders and carry them out at twilight; you shall cover your face, so that you cannot see the ground, for I have made you a sign to the house of Israel."
  11. Cross References
    Job 19:6
    Know then that God has wronged me, And has surrounded me with His net.
    Jeremiah 52:9
    So they took the king and brought him up to the king of Babylon at Riblah in the land of Hamath, and he pronounced judgment on him.
    Lamentations 1:13
    From above He has sent fire into my bones, And it overpowered them; He has spread a net for my feet And turned me back; He has made me desolate And faint all the day.
    Ezekiel 17:20
    I will spread My net over him, and he shall be taken in My snare. I will bring him to Babylon and try him there for the treason which he committed against Me.
  12. Cross References
    2 Kings 25:7
    Then they killed the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, put out the eyes of Zedekiah, bound him with bronze fetters, and took him to Babylon.
    Jeremiah 52:11
    He also put out the eyes of Zedekiah; and the king of Babylon bound him in bronze fetters, took him to Babylon, and put him in prison till the day of his death.
    Ezekiel 17:16
    As I live,' says the Lord GOD, 'surely in the place where the king dwells who made him king, whose oath he despised and whose covenant he broke - with him in the midst of Babylon he shall die.
  13. Cross References
    2 Kings 25:4
    Then the city wall was broken through, and all the men of war fled at night by way of the gate between two walls, which was by the king's garden, even though the Chaldeans were still encamped all around against the city. And the king went by way of the plain.
    Ezekiel 5:10
    Therefore fathers shall eat their sons in your midst, and sons shall eat their fathers; and I will execute judgments among you, and all of you who remain I will scatter to all the winds.
  14. Cross References
    Ezekiel 5:2
    You shall burn with fire one-third in the midst of the city, when the days of the siege are finished; then you shall take one-third and strike around it with the sword, and one-third you shall scatter in the wind: I will draw out a sword after them.
    Ezekiel 5:12
    One-third of you shall die of the pestilence, and be consumed with famine in your midst; and one-third shall fall by the sword all around you; and I will scatter another third to all the winds, and I will draw out a sword after them.
  15. Cross References
    Psalms 9:16
    The LORD is known by the judgment He executes; The wicked is snared in the work of his own hands. Meditation. Selah
    Ezekiel 6:7
    The slain shall fall in your midst, and you shall know that I am the LORD.
    Ezekiel 6:14
    'So I will stretch out My hand against them and make the land desolate, yes, more desolate than the wilderness toward Diblah, in all their dwelling places. Then they shall know that I am the LORD.' " '"
    Ezekiel 12:16
    "But I will spare a few of their men from the sword, from famine, and from pestilence, that they may declare all their abominations among the Gentiles wherever they go. Then they shall know that I am the LORD."
    Ezekiel 12:20
    "Then the cities that are inhabited shall be laid waste, and the land shall become desolate; and you shall know that I am the LORD." '"
  16. Cross References
    2 Kings 25:11
    Then Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive the rest of the people who remained in the city and the defectors who had deserted to the king of Babylon, with the rest of the multitude.
    2 Kings 25:22
    Then he made Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, governor over the people who remained in the land of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had left.
    Ezekiel 6:8 - 10
    Yet I will leave a remnant, so that you may have some who escape the sword among the nations, when you are scattered through the countries.
  17. Cross References
    Lamentations 5:9
    We get our bread at the risk of our lives, Because of the sword in the wilderness.
    Ezekiel 4:16
    Moreover He said to me, "Son of man, surely I will cut off the supply of bread in Jerusalem; they shall eat bread by weight and with anxiety, and shall drink water by measure and with dread.
  18. Cross References
    Jeremiah 10:22
    Behold, the noise of the report has come, And a...
    Ezekiel 6:6
    In all your dwelling places the cities shall be...
    Ezekiel 6:7
    The slain shall fall in your midst, and you sha...
    Ezekiel 6:14
    'So I will stretch out My hand against them and...
    Micah 7:13
    Yet the land shall be desolate Because of those...
    Zechariah 7:14
    "But I scattered them with a whirlwind among al...
  19. Cross References
    Psalms 107:34
    A fruitful land into barrenness, For the wickedness of those who dwell in it.
  20. Cross References
    Jeremiah 5:12
    They have lied about the LORD, And said, " It is not He. Neither will evil come upon us, Nor shall we see sword or famine.
    Ezekiel 11:3
    "who say, ' The time is not near to build houses; this city is the caldron, and we are the meat.'
    Ezekiel 12:27
    "Son of man, look, the house of Israel is saying, 'The vision that he sees is for many days from now, and he prophesies of times far off.'
    Amos 6:3
    Woe to you who put far off the day of doom, Who cause the seat of violence to come near.
    2 Peter 3:4
    And saying, "Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.
  21. Cross References
    Psalms 37:13
    The Lord laughs at him, For He sees that his day is coming.
    Joel 2:1
    Blow the trumpet in Zion, And sound an alarm in My holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble; For the day of the LORD is coming, For it is at hand:
    Zephaniah 1:14
    The great day of the LORD is near; It is near and hastens quickly. The noise of the day of the LORD is bitter; There the mighty men shall cry out.
  22. Cross References
    Jeremiah 14:13 - 16
    Then I said, "Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, the prophets say to them, 'You shall not see the sword, nor shall you have famine, but I will give you assured peace in this place.'
    Ezekiel 13:6
    They have envisioned futility and false divination, saying, 'Thus says the LORD!' But the LORD has not sent them; yet they hope that the word may be confirmed.
    Zechariah 13:2 - 4
    It shall be in that day," says the LORD of hosts, " that I will cut off the names of the idols from the land, and they shall no longer be remembered. I will also cause the prophets and the unclean spirit to depart from the land.
  23. Cross References
    Lamentations 2:14
    Your prophets have seen for you False and deceptive visions; They have not uncovered your iniquity, To bring back your captives, But have envisioned for you false prophecies and delusions.
  24. Cross References
    Isaiah 55:11
    So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.
    Daniel 9:12
    And He has confirmed His words, which He spoke against us and against our judges who judged us, by bringing upon us a great disaster; for under the whole heaven such has never been done as what has been done to Jerusalem.
    Luke 21:33
    Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.
  25. Cross References
    Numbers 23:19
    God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?
    Isaiah 14:24
    The LORD of hosts has sworn, saying, "Surely, as I have thought, so it shall come to pass, And as I have purposed, so it shall stand:
  26. Cross References
    Ezekiel 12:22
    Son of man, what is this proverb that you people have about the land of Israel, which says, 'The days are prolonged, and every vision fails'?
  27. Cross References
    Daniel 10:14
    "Now I have come to make you understand what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision refers to many days yet to come."
  28. Cross References
    Ezekiel 12:23
    Tell them therefore, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "I will lay this proverb to rest, and they shall no more use it as a proverb in Israel." But say to them, "The days are at hand, and the fulfillment of every vision.
    Ezekiel 12:25
    "For I am the LORD. I speak, and the word which I speak will come to pass; it will no more be postponed; for in your days, O rebellious house, I will say the word and perform it," says the Lord GOD.'"
  29. Cross References
    Jeremiah 4:7
    The lion has come up from his thicket, And the destroyer of nations is on his way. He has gone forth from his place To make your land desolate. Your cities will be laid waste, Without inhabitant.
New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
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